For Eagle-Vail native Mikaela Shiffrin, that’s what 18 culminated in — best in the world. For you and me and everyone we know, that will likely never be the case at any age.

It’s pretty incredible to think that of all the people in the world that someone could definitively be the best at something, anything and she did it before she could even legally buy recreational marijuana in her home state of Colorado (not that she would buy it; she’s an Olympian, afterall. Her high comes in the form of pure gold).

I never won a gold, but I contend that I was equally as pretty as 18-year-old gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

It doesn’t seem that long ago, but it’s been almost 12 years since 18 for me and I sure wasn’t doing anything like winning a gold medal at the Olympics. The best I had won by that point in my life was LHS class of 2003 best hair. Seriously, and sadly, that is probably the best thing I have won by 29.

U.S. Ski President Bill Marolt, who will retire after these games, said that it’s unusual for someone so young to be a virtual lock to win the slalom. “She is a phenom — she isn’t just good, she is phenomenal,” he said, moments before hopping a fence to hug Shiffrin’s mom, Eileen.

Like Lebron James, Bobby Ficsher and Harry Potter before her, Shiffrin is The One.

Before Sochi, Shiffrin appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated for their Olympic preview edition and she was hailed as one of America’s surest chances for gold. It was not the story of, “Hey, she’s young and talented and could possibly win, so let’s hope it happens.” Rather, it was, “she is the best, she will win.”

I’m not going to pretend to be any sort of ski expert, but she almost fell on her second run, and I’m pretty sure you cannot do that (this isn’t figure skating). I couldn’t see the almost fall from where I was shooting, but the crowd gasped and hearts broke collectively.

Shiffrin, like Harry Potter coming back from the dead to vanquish Voldermort, turned on the beast mode, kept flying and destroyed the second half of the course. From an everyman standpoint, she just looked superior to every other skier out there.

When I asked veteran ski writer John Meyer before her gold-medal-winning slalom run if she was a lock, he said, “Let’s put it like this: giant slalom isn’t even her best event, and she was only a half second from winning gold in that.”

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — The tanned television reporter stuck his microphone into Maggie Voisin’s face and asked the inane question, as those with cameras are wont to do.

“How disappointed you are you?” he said in his ready-for-primetime rumble.

“It’s hard but I have to stay positive,” said Voisin, with poise beyond her 15 years.

What else could she say? Of course she’s disappointed. The youngest competitor in the Winter Olympics hurt her ankle while practicing on the slopestyle course rails, those daunting walls and steel cannons that hurl riders into space. She wasn’t able to compete in the biggest contest of her life.

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — Julia Mancuso first demonstrated her uncanny knack for coming through in big events at the 2005 world championships, when she and teammate Lindsey Vonn were just 20 years old.

Vonn already had a World Cup win and seven podiums. Mancuso, a rival since they were kids coming up through the junior ranks, had none. But at those championships in Bormio, Italy, Mancuso claimed bronze medals in giant slalom and super-G. Vonn had to settle for two fourth-place finishes.

A year later in the Turin Olympics, Mancuso won a gold medal in giant slalom and Vonn went home empty handed. Since then Mancuso has claimed three more world championships medals, and on Monday she won her fourth Olympic medal, a bronze in super combined. No other American woman has won more than two.

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — Julia Mancuso’s remarkable knack for rising to the occasion in big events served her well again Monday when she claimed a bronze medal in super combined, joining speed skater Bonnie Blair and short track skater Apolo Ohno as the only Americans to win medals in three Winter Olympics.

It was her fourth Olympic medal. No other American woman has more than two in alpine.

Mancuso had the fastest downhill leg in the morning and skied well enough in the afternoon slalom to stay in the medals despite not having raced slalom all season. Maria Hoefl-Reisch of Germany won the gold medal and Nicole Hosp of Austria claimed silver.

Mancuso had not finished better than seventh in any World Cup race this season, but her downhill run was breathtaking to watch, and her slalom was surprisingly good for a racer with so little slalom mileage. She has trained a little slalom this season, but not much.

The Olympic torch burns as people explore the grounds during opening weekend at the Olympic village. Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

When I arrived in Moscow, I instantly knew Russia and the United States were different places. Of course, I expected as much heading into these games, but I did not expect just how clearly different they would be.

Aside from my obvious expectations — they don’t speak incredibly fluent English, and everyone seems to wear last, last, last season’s JCPenney leather jacket — I was taken aback by the functionality of communication. It’s like the difference between Peyton Manning (55 touchdown passes) and Eli Manning (27 interceptions).

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — The multi-venued Olympic Rosa Khutor Extreme Park is living up to its name. The slopestyle course’s huge jumps are intimidating the world’s best. The steep moguls course is challenging all skiers. Some halfpipe riders are grousing — off the record — about the condition of the pipe. And the snowboard cross course is keeping the extreme theme.

“It’s a man’s course for sure,” said Nate Holland, the seven-time X Games gold medalist hoping for his first Olympic medal in the Sochi Winter Games. “Big features with not a lot of time between them. It’s going to be fast.”

Travis Ganong of the United States skis during training for the Alpine Skiing Men’s Downhill ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Rosa Khutor Alpine Center on Feb. 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Clive Rose, Getty Images)

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — The thrill in downhill racing comes from the high speeds it generates, but also the jumps. There are three big “airs” on the Olympic downhill course, one throwing racers an estimated 80 feet, another just above the finish looking like a free fall down an elevator shaft.

And the racers are enjoying their flights.

“You’re right, it is fun,” said American Marco Sullivan, who recorded the fastest speed in Friday’s downhill training run (83.6 mph). “In the finish, watching everyone come down, all the racers are like, ‘Yeah! That guy flew!’ We’re all racing to be the fastest, but it is awesome when you have a challenging course like this where you fly far, you make some really challenging turns and you can be really happy with your skiing when you come through the finish.

“Obviously it’s more fun when you’re fast, but you can always be happy when you’re in the finish and you can reminisce like, ‘Oh, that jump was huge,’ or ‘That turn was awesome.’”

A stray dog walks past the Olympic Rings in Olympic Park, three days before the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 3, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. A pest control company which has been killing stray dogs in Sochi for years told The Associated Press on Monday that it has a contract to exterminate more of the animals throughout the Olympics. (Robert F. Bukaty, The Associated Press)

It’s hard times for hounds in Krasnaya Polyana.

A couple days ago, friendly strays lounged at bus stops, nibbling handouts from workers and accepting belly scratches from visitors and volunteers. Today, there are noticeably fewer dogs on the streets. Maybe they are roaming. Or maybe they are part of an Olympic purge to cleanse the coastal and mountain Olympic villages and venues of strays.

Alexei Sorokin told the Associated Press earlier this week that his company, Basya Services, had been asked by Olympic organizers to step up its collection and extermination of strays throughout the Olympics.
Sorokin told the AP that his firm was “catching and disposing” of dogs. He didn’t say how the dogs were killed. Sochi officials hired the company to cull stray dogs a year ago, igniting protests from dog lovers who urged the development of shelters.

Jason Blevins covers tourism, mountain business, skiing and outdoor adventure sports for both the business and sports sections at The Denver Post, which he joined in 1997. He skis, pedals, paddles and occasionally boogies in the hills.

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About All Things Olympics

The All Things Olympics blog from The Denver Post covers the athletes, events and stories of the Olympic Games and Olympic sports, including the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia. Its writers — John Meyer, Jason Blevins and Mark Kiszla — will feature profiles, articles, analysis and personal reflection.